A family with a new perspective learning to live a healthier lifestyle

My daughter and I have a saying… “Do it in stages” – and this helps with making big lifestyle changes as well as conquering those projects that overwhelm.

While I don’t always hit the mark on all fronts nutritionally-speaking, the goal of creating a healthier environment for my family is still going strong.

I have come across a couple of simple changes which can help to improve our health overall and both have to do with detoxification. I always thought detoxification involved nasty tasting drinks, painful massage or worse. I’m happy to report that there are less dreaded things we can do to remove some of the nasty stuff our bodies come into contact with.

Air Purifying Plants

I have never had a green thumb – My plants often have near death experiences and I have joked that I am well acquainted with plant resuscitation. Now I have a new motivation for paying better attention to my green friends.

My school lessons taught me well about the benefits of green for the purpose of carbon dioxide removal, but I wasn’t aware that plants are also good for removal of toxins as such as formaldehyde, trichloroethylene and others.

1. Bamboo Palm: According to NASA, it removes formaldehyde and is also said to act as a natural humidifier.
2. Snake Plant: Found by NASA to absorb nitrogen oxides and formaldehyde.

3. Areca Palm: One of the best air purifying plants for general air cleanliness.

4. Spider Plant: Great indoor plant for removing carbon monoxide and other toxins or impurities. Spider plants are one of three plants NASA deems best at removing formaldehyde from the air.

5. Peace Lily: Peace lilies could be called the “clean-all.” They’re often placed in bathrooms or laundry rooms because they’re known for removing mold spores. Also known to remove formaldehyde and trichloroethylene.

6. Gerber Daisy: Not only do these gorgeous flowers remove benzene from the air, they’re known to improve sleep by absorbing carbon dioxide and giving off more oxygen over night.

South Africa, believe it or not hosts the 2nd largest population of Indian people after India, of course. This has given me exposure to some seriously amazing food! Putting a healthy twist on the cuisine and keeping the delicious flavours is a challenge, but there are some great options to make it fresh and healthy. FrugalFeeding, one of my favorite blogs on food, has a great recipe we have done over and over. The addition of light coconut milk gives it a Thai twist if you like. I just had to reblog for those of you who love curry like we do!

Before we start, I must admit that this is a re-blog of an earlier post of mine which has now been removed. I shall be doing this with a number of my earlier recipes over time as, since the date of their original posting, they have been significantly improved. This curry received the “special treatment” because it is such a fantastic recipe which I have, in the past few months, perfected. Indeed, I now genuinely understand what it takes to make a simply fantastic curry. First of all, don’t hold back on flavour – pack it full, or it shall only disappoint. Secondly, cook it for a significant length of time – this helps the flavour of the spices really develop. Thirdly, cook each type of meat in a different way – chicken needs to be added a mere 10-15 minutes before serving, while beef or lamb needs to be…

Life’s demands have returned to normal. It’s amazing how everything can slow to a snail’s pace when emergencies hit, yet when the crisis has passed and all of those demanding responsibilities wake from their sleepy slumber (or maybe it is an anesthetic unconsciousness!) it again becomes difficult to control one’s time.

I hope I am not alone in this struggle. Those things which are good, and right and in this case, healthy, don’t scream as loudly as those things which demand me. And keeping them in their proper place is really a battle.

Which is why today is stock taking time!

My goals for my family’s life are:

To eat healthier food

To eliminate and control those habits which are not healthy

To make myself and my family MOVE – not only exercise, but just be more active

To be more available to my kids for school and social activities

Thankfully, many of the changes I have made are still in place – despite my becoming victim to the tyranny of the urgent.

More Veggies

More Water

Less Fat

Less red meat

However, in the spirit of confession, I admit that we have slipped in a few areas – the activity level needs improvement and I haven’t made the time to plan properly for healthy meals. We are a bit like a sputtering engine in this area. Our intentions are good, and we embrace the ideas and make plans to walk every day, go to the gym 3 x a week and to have more family activities away from home. I organize and shop for healthy meals and have delicious meals just waiting to be made…. Unfortunately, our business needed our attention – and longer hours – and more energy… leaving little for all this idealistic idea. Getting the necessary things done quickly and going to bed early sounds so much more appealing!

This idea of a sputtering engine has made me think that, as with a car who when sputtering either has contaminated petrol, or air in the fuel system, I need to do two things: Get rid of that which is making me sputter AND rev my engine. A forced input of energy that will eventually clear the system of the nasty stuff and give me the boost I need to move more efficiently.

It’s good to take stock – to have a look at what has crept into life uninvited – and what has disappeared that was sorely needed. Just as with my business – our annual stock take is this month – I need to check the storeroom, move out what has sat there too long, and bring more of the good stuff in.

In in this spirit, it is Thursday – my day off. I haven’t taken it in 6 weeks, but with the support of my hubby am resuming today 🙂 And I’m off to the gym with one of my pals – shared accountability and a little fun while we sweat. Life doesn’t have to control me – I’m in the driver’s seat.

One thing we have missed since living in South Africa is South American food. Our home town in the States had a population of people from south of the border, and the cuisine readily available was magnifico. I am always on the look out for food that we can make with ingredients we have available, but it’s not always easy.

Tonight’s dinner was a first time shot at a recipe in my new Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook that I was given as a gift this year (imported from the US, of course). It was a huge hit. Conversation around dinner was “You haven’t made this before…. please don’t stop”.

A few alterations made it a little more nutritious and didn’t take away from the flavour or texture of the dish. Next time I will add more green peppers and maybe sneak in some extra grated veggies on the sly such as zucchini (marrows) and carrot. I am sure that corn would also be a nice addition.

Cook the onion, green pepper and garlic in the oil until softened. Add the optional minced chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook until no longer pink. Add tomato juice, cumin and chili powder and the undrained tin of green chilies (or fresh chopped chili as preferred) Heat through.

Juice as fresh as possible (though we mourn the demise of our standard issue juicer and are saving up for an industrial one).

Whole grains, seeds and nuts are a part of the daily diet and we are slowly replacing all those refined flour favourites with whole grain replacements.

Vegetables are a bigger part of our diet, and we are slowly getting everyone in the family on board. Even my darling Veggie-hater son is slowly coming around (slowly, mind you!).

Small container garden has been planted and is producing. First harvest of leafy greens is just around the corner.

Take-aways and convenience foods, are almost completely eliminated. I say almost because I have promised the kids that we are about changing our daily diet – and a very occasional pizza or chicken burger is allowed.

Red meat consumption is down, and we’ve found a source of free-range, hormone and animal by-product free chicken (Yippee!)

It’s great to see progress… but there is still so much ahead. This has been all about gradual change, so this isn’t discouraging. However, I don’t want to lose momentum!

Next on my list is to buy a steamer (ah! now you get it!) I have done a lot of reading about the nutrients in our food. Some information I knew already, some information gave me greater clarity

Interesting to note: the 3 main enemies to vitamins and minerals are heat, water and oxidation

Oxidation: Vitamins A, C and E are most prone to oxidation. The longer food is stored, the more surface area that is exposed to air and light, the less Vitamin C there is likely to be. Vitamin A and E are also victims of oxidation. Cool, dark storage helps to slow this natural process.

Heat: The degree of destruction depends a) cooking time b) whether heat is distributed evenly and c) most importantly the temperature. 20-70% of the nutrient content of leafy vegetables is lost in cooking

Water: Minerals and water-soluble vitamins leach into cooking water. The more water used and the longer the cooking time, the more this will occur. High temperatures can even destroy some of the vitamins, though not the minerals. Loss of nutrients in boiled foods tends to be around 20-50%.

Why steam? Steamed foods tend to keep the temperature at the core of the food lower for longer, retaining more of the vitamin and mineral content in the food. It doesn’t take much water to accomplish the cooking process – and anyone who has had steamed broccoli and carrots over boiled know the colour and flavour are so much stronger.

Why not microwave? In vegetables, there is little loss, because the microwaves vibrate the water content in the food. However, essential fats are rapidly destroyed, so it’s advised to not microwave foods with oils, nuts or sees.

Basically I feel that if I am going to the trouble to purchase organic food, grow what I can and keep my fridge stocked with fresh goodness – I want those precious nutrients! Our bodies need them – our cells demand them and I want to give my body all the fight it can have to ward off what attacks it.

Here are some great tips offered by Patrick Holford in his book The Optimum Nutrition Bible

Eat foods as fresh and unprocessed as possible

Keep fresh food cool and in the dark in the fridge in sealed containers

Let me start by explaining – Before moving to South Africa, I lived in Portland Oregon. That is Portland, land of all things natural. When the rest of the U.S. was busy buying dot.com stock and huge SUV’s, Oregonians were dabbling in alternative energy and pushing recycling. Recycling? Most were still trying to get a grip on Woody the Owl telling us to “Give a Hoot, Don’t pollute” by not throwing our candy wrappers on the ground. Available way before it was trendy were items that were “free-range”, “organic”, using methods that had the smallest “carbon-foot print” possible.

Then we moved… to Africa. South Africa is not exactly third world, however it’s thinking in 2004 was not exactly globally protective. I often got dirty looks when I hooted my car horn at the pick-up full of workers throwing their styrofoam lunch containers overboard.I admit, I abandoned for sometime my recycling habits as well as the energy spent in choosing my purchases according to environmental awareness, but even still missed the easy access to alternatives to the pre-packed, processed and steroid injected options available in the supermarkets.

Enter the big scare – my diagnosis – and my realization that my lazy lifestyle most likely contributed to my sickness. Voila! The motivation returned! Yes, it’s good for the planet, and it’s part of our being good stewards of all we have been so graciously given.. but the personal motivation got me off my backside at last.

South Africa does have one great advantage – the “supermarket” syndrome is fairly new. And this means we have Fruit and Veg markets, Butcheries and Bakeries who still specialize in what they do. So it is with this knowledge that I marched through my local “fruit and veg” on the hunt for what I thought would be not too difficult – organically grown veggies.

Alas, organic was not to be found, so in my “never say die” attitude, I decided I needed a garden. Problem? Yes.. I have no garden space… and where I do have beds, I have dogs – busy dogs, bored dogs…. naughty puppy dogs.

I do have however, one little corner of my property that is gated, and paved.. and this is where my little baby container garden was born. It’s by no means something that would make “Farmer Jones” proud, but for me… seeing it come to be has given me a sense of satisfaction that even finding the perfect Organic Farm couldn’t provide.

A work in progress, I already have bigger plans for next year including two raised beds and if I am really lucky to find someone to help, a vertical bed or two. And this year, I’m teaching Thuli, who helps me at home, to garden as well.

Only time will tell if the spinach, beets, beans and tomato grown will appeal to my veggie-hater son, but I am very pleased to say that I know where and how they were grown, and will be able to eat them without concern about what made them grow.

What motivates a person to make radical changes that last? Benefits and Rewards? Fear? Feelings of lack of control? I always wanted the benefit and reward of a healthy body, but it never motivated me enough. I, of course, have always wanted to lose weight, and “healthy” seemed the right way to do it. But didn’t hold for long. I knew all along that it was “good” to eat healthy..to exercise..to live a less than stressed out lifestyle. But it never motivated me enough to change. Sadly, it seems that it was the fear, lack of control and knowledge I gained in reading up on my diagnosis that finally motivated me to make the changes to my and my family’s lifestyle.

It’s been 5 weeks since my surgery – and in that time I have learned a fair bit about the “fuel” we consume – I have also had the fright of a lifetime with my diagnosis and I certainly felt that I needed to take responsibility for what I was exposing my family to with our habits and lifestyle.

But now it’s 5 weeks later.

Life is settling back to its usual routines. My schedule is beginning to fill again. Convenience is the dark temptation that looms when things get hectic.

But thankfully I am not the same person. The factors that first motivated me have changed me and my perspective. I cannot go back to the “old me” who somehow had fooled herself into thinking that our habits and lifestyle weren’t THAT bad.

However, this hasn’t prevented me from an occasional stumble.And thankfully, the progress that we have made has given me a new “normal”. So, when I caved this week after a hectic day at the office, followed by a crazy afternoon running errands with the kids and still faced with an evening social at my house – I stopped at my “old” favorite take out place and purchased the “healthiest” thing on the menu (chicken burger on a new healthy looking bun),my taste buds immediately picked up the imitation flavor, the added salt and the oilyness of the nasty stuff they call sauce. I ate it – I was hungry – but had a headache of note the next morning.

Maybe now that the fear and feeling of the lack of control has passed, I have a more solid motivation – knowledge. I know what that stuff does to a body-and I even have proof. And as I continue to retrain the routines to allow for time to prepare and plan – and I see the results of a well fueled family – this will keep us motivated to keep it up.

If you are intimidated by seafood, this is the recipe for you! And it offers veggies of all the important colours – red, green and yellow for that great antioxidant boost.

Paella traditionally has fish, prawns, calamari and mussels, but I have adapted this recipe for my fish squeamish daughter. The result was a success for nearly everyone! My son opted for seconds placed into a tortilla and topped with plain yogurt.

I have to tell you… all those tense moments sitting at the dinner table as a kid…with my mom telling my brother, sister and me to eat our veggies… really did sink in – at least partially. I have always felt that eating the “5 a day” fruit and veggie would benefit us nutritionally. The challenge has been the effort. It takes time to buy, store and peel – never mind properly cook those little power packs. So, in the reality of my life, it was often forgotten. Excuses such as “no one will eat the salad.. and there are tomatoes in the spaghetti sauce” and “just tonight, we will just have potatoes with our meat” became more than rare occurences. This has now changed. My view of food is different now – and I realize that my food must fuel me – not just fill me.

The next challenge – now that we understand about the importance of water, and have addressed the whole grain issue in our diet – is to add more vegetables to our diet.

And despite my best efforts to teach my children that veggies were there friends (we had almost every video tape of Veggie Tales; we called broccoli “little trees”; we bragged about how Popeye had big muscles because of the spinach and Bugs Bunny had great eyesight because he ate carrots).. 1/2 of my 4 children are not veggie lovers… one of them is a self-proclaimed veggie hater.

I have had a new visual picture form from the reading that I have done about what makes us susceptible to cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Our innocent but oh-so-important cells are being inundated with all kinds of toxins in our daily lives. In addition to this, we are not giving them the basics to keep them strong.

It’s almost as bad as expecting a horse to keep ploughing but refusing to give him the food and water to carry on. Through the generations, our cells have become genetically weaker thanks to our environment – and add to this a poor diet of fast good and no exercise – and what hope to we have to live to a healthy old age?

So, fuel them up we must! And fruits and vegetables are at the top of the list thanks to their concentrations of the most important vitamins and minerals.

In addition to all the benefits of vitamins and minerals (which could fill a book, never mind a blog post), antioxidants are very important in helping to keeping our cells healthy and happy. “Antioxidants are substances that may protect cells from the damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals.” 1 Free radicals, or oxidants, damage cells causing cancer, artery damage, aging and inflammation and originate from pollution, radiation, fried and burnt foods, sunlight and combustion. The super hero foods with antioxidant nutrients are continuing to be found to be key in preventing and possibly fighting diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Hypertension, Infertility, Macular degeneration, Measels, Mental illness, Periodontal disease, Respiratory tract infections and Rheumatoid arthritis.

In addition to antioxidant nutrients, God has given us veggies and fruits that are super-packed with Vitamin A, C and E, Minerals Selenium, Zinc, Copper, Iron and Manganese which help to fight those nasty free radicals.

Here’s my plan:

While I was recovering from my surgery, and preparing for chemo, I dived right into juicing. A delicious way to digest fruit and veg in its best form – raw. It was a perfect answer for the nausea I was suffering from – and I could just imagine all those vitamins and minerals strengthening my weak cells. Breakfasts will soon feature a small glass of a new concoction for each of my family members. It may have to be bar room style shots of goodness complete with a “ready… one, two, three.. chug!” but it’s going to happen.

The freshest veggies from my own small container garden – you can follow my progress my becoming my friend on Facebook and joining my “Container Gardening for a Healthier Life”

Surreptitiously adding vegetables to any recipe I can – including quick breads and muffins, sauces, casseroles and even desserts if I can get away with it

Keeping stock of nibble sized fruits and veggies for easy snacking.

This is probably going to be the biggest challenge I will have, next to family exercise. But with a little ingenuity, a positive attitude and some good solid facts behind me, there might just be a good chance of success!

The first time I tried tabboluleh, my hubby had taken me to a Lebanese restaurant somewhere in Seattle. The memories of the food that night are still wrapped in warm colours and a fragrant mist.

I have dug for a favorite recipe of mine, and have decided that this is going to be a great addition to our “regular” menu. Made as a side, it goes wonderfully with chicken. Stuffed into a pita, it makes a delicious lunch time treat. As a main course on its own- a filling meat-free dinner (or serve with spiced chicken or lamb on a skewer!). Mmmmm. I’m hungry already!

In addition to the delicious flavours, this dish comes to the table with all kinds of healthy benefits.

Fresh Parsley – has anticancer components; is rich with antioxidants; has anti-inflammatory agents; and can help keep your heart healthy and your immune system boosted!

Fresh Mint – in addition to freshening your breath, mint will also help to settle an uneasy stomach, is a natural diuretic and can even help ease the symptoms of IBS.

Bulgar – is high in protein and minerals offering nutrition that fills you up without adding in extra calories. ( Bulgar has fewer calories, less fat and more than twice the fibre of brown rice!)

And then there are all the wonderful vitamins and minerals found in the cucumber, tomato and onions.

Tabbouleh – adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

Yield for this recipe: 5 side dish sized servings

1 c bulgur soaked for 1 hour in 1 2/3 cup boiling hot water

3/4 c chopped cucumber

1/2 c snipped fresh parsley

1/4 c thinly sliced green onions – OR sliced red onion

4 T snipped fresh mint

3 T olive oil

3 T lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 c. chopped tomato

4 lettuce leaves to serve on

Placed soaked bulgur in a colander and rinse with cold water. Place into a large bowl with cucumber, parsley, onion and mint.

For dressing, whisk water, oil, lemon juice and salt together.

Drizzle dressing over bulgur mixture and toss to coat.

Chill for at least 2 hours for flavours to meld. The longer it sits, the better it tastes!

Before serving, stir in tomato and serve on a lettuce leaf, or in a lettuce leaf lined bowl garnished with a lemon slice or two.